One of the ways my department helps Victoria to prosper is by developing and applying codes that will help us to create a viable, long-lasting city with diverse types of development. As we enter our bicentennial year, the time is perfect to revisit our codes and ensure that we are doing all we can to lay the foundation for a bright future.
The City of Victoria recently adopted a new Unified Development Ordinance to make the code easier to navigate and update regulations as needed. We have been working on this new ordinance for the past two years in collaboration with City Council and our consultant, with input provided through community surveys and our steering committee.
When we talk about changing or removing development regulations, it’s important to remember that affordable development does not mean substandard development. We do not want to remove regulations that are designed to protect our residents, ensure utility service, or comply with state and federal environmental regulations. Instead, we aim to create a set of development-friendly guidelines that are consistent with our overall goal of enhancing livability.
In determining how we could encourage commercial development—particularly redevelopment of existing spaces—we identified a need to update our process for site modification permits. Previously, if a business wanted to make a modification of any size, the owner would need to bring the whole property into compliance with newer regulations, which sometimes wasn’t feasible with existing constraints. Under the new ordinance, we are able to issue permits for smaller modifications without triggering this costly process.
The ordinance also makes things easier for housing development—a crucial need given the affordable housing shortage in Victoria and around the nation. We sought to remove prohibitive costs for single-lot infill housing by updating our deed approval process. Previously, residents looking to get a deed for a new house on a vacant lot would need to get the property platted, which can cost several thousand dollars. Now, if the property has access to utilities and a right of way, the resident just has to get a survey, which is significantly cheaper.
We also reduced the minimum lot size for single-family residential lots to 5,000 square feet, which will hopefully encourage developers to build by creating a higher lot yield, which results in a higher profit. Many of our residential lots that were built prior to the ’60s are this size, so the new minimum will still provide plenty of space.
The new ordinance does not introduce a zoning map. Consistent feedback from Council and residents shows that our community doesn’t have any interest in limiting what can be built in certain geographical areas. Instead, the ordinance establishes residential protections that are based on distances between certain types of businesses and residential properties, which we hope will improve our residents’ quality of life without being overly restrictive.
Because the ordinance is so new and to manage the change, we are allowing people to opt out of it for new developments until June 1. However, while we have seen some contractors opt out of the new insurance requirements, our contractors have been choosing to move ahead with other aspects of the new ordinance because they are finding it more beneficial. The ordinance is better for our contractors and developers and will ultimately improve Victoria for all our residents.
The Unified Development Ordinance is contained in Chapter 21 of the City code and may be viewed at www.victoriatx.gov/citycode.
Julie Fulgham is the director of Development Services for the City of Victoria.